The present disclosure relates to a sheet feeding unit for storing sheets fed to an image forming apparatus or the like and an image forming apparatus including the sheet feeding unit.
In an image forming apparatus, such as a multifunction peripheral and a printer, sheets are fed from a sheet feeding unit, such as an attachably/detachably supported sheet feeding cartridge and a manual feeding tray, to an image forming part. In the sheet feeding cartridge, a pair of cursors slidably provided restrict a position of a sheet in a width direction. A mechanism for sliding the pair of cursors is generally configured to synchronously slide the pair of cursors in approaching and separating directions in the width direction of the sheets by a rack and pinion mechanism including racks respectively provided in the pair of cursors and a pinion engaged with the pair of racks.
In the sheet feeding cartridge including such a slide mechanism, it is necessary to coincide a center position of the sheet restricted by the pair of cursors (a center position between the pair of cursors) with a center position of an image formed in the image forming part. When the center position of the sheet is not coincided with the center position of the image in the width direction of the sheet, for example, in a case where a post-treatment such as opening a punch hole is performed, the punch hole interferes with the image, or in a case where multi-staged cartridges are used, the position of the punch hole is displaced in every sheet fed from each cartridge.
In order to position the center of the pair of cursors in the width direction, there is an image forming apparatus including a sheet feeding cartridge configured to support the pair of cursors and a slide mechanism and to move a support member together with the pair of cursors in the width direction.
However, in the sheet feeding cartridge as mentioned above, there is a problem that a size of the support member is enlarged and does not match a sheet feeding cartridge having a low height in recent years. In addition, there is a problem that points where the support member is fixed to the sheet feeding cartridge are increased, thereby deteriorating in workability.
On the other hand, in a sheet feeding cartridge including the pair of cursors, there is also a problem that in a case where a user inserts the sheet feeding cartridge by strong force when the user installs the sheet feeding cartridge, the force is applied from the sheets stored in the sheet feeding cartridge to the cursor and the slide mechanism, thereby resulting in displacement of the center position of the pair of cursors in the width direction.